DEAR JOAN: My daughter bought a Great Dane puppy as a birthday present for her husband almost two years ago. He still chews on whatever odd shoe or stuffed animal is lying around and will bark across the fence at the neighbor’s dog.

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My daughter is worried about the chewing and has said: “We can’t trust him.” Thus, they leave him in a crate in the laundry room from the time they leave for work to the time they get home, late afternoon.

He also has to sleep in a crate at night, which is in their bedroom. They bought the largest crate made, but this is a Great Dane — he can turn around, barely, but can’t fully stand.

I feel so bad for the dog. It’s like the poor thing is left in a cramped jail cell. My daughter seems to think that dogs like being crated and it makes them feel safe. I think it’s cruel. Who’s right?

Robert Jones, San Jose

DEAR ROBERT: Dog crating has its supporters and detractors. There’s no doubt it’s a useful training tool, especially for puppies being housebroken. It also can be used to teach dogs not to chew on things. It should never be used as a form of punishment or for the mere convenience of the pet owner.

Dogs spend about 16 hours a day sleeping, and they often do feel more comfortable and at ease in a cozy, enclosed spaces. Those who study domestic dogs, wild dogs and wolves, calling it “denning.”

If the dog has no bad associations with the crate, they are happy to go inside to sleep, feeling protected and safe.

Dogs never should be left in their crates for more than half the day, or longer than overnight. I think your daughter is pushing the time limit on her dog, and I hope that when she and her husband get home, they let the dog out and interact with it, walking and playing.

Dogs are social creatures and need the company of other dogs and humans. If they are left too long in a crate, they can develop “cage rage,” and become depressed, anxious or fearful.

The size of the crate matters, too. It should be large enough for the dog to turn around, but it also needs to be tall enough that the dog can stand without stooping. In addition to the overall isolation in a crate, dogs need exercise so spending too long in a crate is not good for them.

I recognize the difficulty of dealing with a dog that can’t be trusted, however, the dog shouldn’t be punished or caged. It should be trained. When the dog is in its crate during the day, your daughter should give him an interactive chew toy — a toy that contains treats inside that the dog has to work to get out.

This will not only provide him with mental and physical stimulation, it also will teach him that chewing on certain things is rewarding, chewing on others is not. When he’s out of the crate, your daughter and son-in-law should watch him and if he starts chewing on something he’s not supposed to, gently divert his attention with something that is OK to chew.

Once the dog has earned your daughter’s trust, she should let the dog decide when to go into the crate. In the meantime, she needs to invest in a slightly taller crate.

Joan Morris is the pets & wildlife columnist for the Bay Area News Group. She also writes about gardening and is the founder of Our Garden, a demonstration garden in Walnut Creek. Morris started her career in 1978 as a reporter for a small New Mexico newspaper. She has lived in the Bay Area since 1988.